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Delve into the crucial bond between STEM and early childhood education to bridge the worker gap and equip tomorrow's workforce with essential skills. Explore why high-quality early education is the key to workforce development and how engaging young minds in STEM concepts early can shape a brighter future. Discover the power of nurturing innate STEM skills in children to meet the demands of tomorrow's job market. Learn why investing in early education is vital for long-term competitiveness and economic growth.
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The Powerful Link Between STEM and Early Childhood Education JD Chesloff Executive Director, MBR Chair, Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Executive Committee Chair, Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care
WITHOUT ENDING UP… HERE?
SUPPLY OF WORKERS IS LOW… • 76M baby boomers will soon retire, and only 51M people are in line to replace them…creating a “worker gap” of 25M. (Pew Center on the States) • 20% of US workers are functionally illiterate (US Chamber of Commerce); and 1 in 5 adults lacks the math competence expected of a middle-schooler(Washington Post) • Of the 39M young adults aged 17 – 24, 75% do not qualify to join the military (Pentagon) • More than half of US postsecondary students drop out without receiving a degree. (Center for American Progress/Center for the Next Generation)
…Yet Demand in STEM is High • In the next 10 years, STEM jobs will grow by 17%, compared to 9.8% for all other occupations. • Across the US, all occupations, there are 3.6 people for every 1 job. In STEM, there is 1 person for every 1.9 jobs.
AND STEM JOBS ARE GOOD JOBS • Median salary for engineering majors is $91K, the highest of any profession.
YET…NEARLY ONE THIRD OF AMERICANS WOULD RATHER: Clean Their Bathrooms… …Than Do A Math Problem.
RAYTHEON SURVEYED 1,000 MIDDLE SCHOOLERS “Would you rather eat broccoli or do math homework?” The Winner… With 56 % of the Vote…
“If math skills are such an important component of academic success, and people would rather be cleaning their bathroom or eating broccoli, we have a problem. This is important to the country’s long term competitiveness because today’s young children are tomorrow’s workforce. Workers who are fluent in math and other STEM competencies will be more prepared and qualified to fill the jobs that our innovation economy demands.”
PROBLEM “Supply is low, demand is high. There is a mismatch between projected future jobs requiring STEM skills and the projected supply of qualified workers to fill them.”
SOLUTIONThe Powerful Connection Between Early Childhood and STEM
RESEARCH CONFIRMS… • The brain is particularly receptive to learning math and logic between the ages of 1 and 4 • Early math concepts are the most powerful predictors of later learning • “There are no better natural scientists and engineers than young children”
HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT • Cuts rate of students being held back a grade in half; • Increases high school attendance by 1/3; • Increases college attendance by 80%!; • Increases employment by 23%.
BUSINESS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ADVOCATE • Reports, Boards, Coalitions INFILTRATE • Legislation, Public Policy, Seminars EDUCATE • Ready Nation • Programs
CONCLUSION “To remain competitive in the global economy, investment is needed to ensure a workforce pipeline that would rather engage in science, technology, engineering, and math than clean bathrooms and eat broccoli. And the best way to shore up that pipeline is to start investing in it early.”
